The Case For ‘Contender Asia’ (including videos)

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By Iain Liddle

As you might expect with being the co-editor of this website, it sometimes fall on my shoulders to read what the other writers have to say for themselves. Being a fan of fighting in pretty much all incarnations I was intrigued to Tommy Hackett’s tribute to the infamous “Owt Good On Mam” television reviews which were a particular highlight of early newsletters (go buy Stuart’s book if you haven’t already got a copy).

In his column, Tommy took an illness-enforced look at the sheer volume of shows on the box that have something to do with people punching or kicking each other in the name of fightsport. What surprised me most was not the sudden realisation that there is apparently more fighting on TV than I am able to keep up with but rather I found myself disagreeing with one of our esteemed columnists. Rather than fire him on the spot, I read on just to be sure.

True enough, the same man responsible for our recent Mario Sperry interview (which was subsequently featured on the Baltimore Sun, Lockflow.com and IFL.tv) had decided he was not going to persevere with Contender Asia viewing after seeing what it had to offer. Naturally I laid the blame for this decision on the copious amounts of flu remedy that were surely surging through is body because why else would someone, who in all likelihood is the most knowledgeable Muay Thai writer on staff, show such little interest?

Unperturbed by the negativity, and seeing as I had been keen to see this since the concept was originally announced, I obtained copies of the first two shows and decided to judge for myself. Guess what - I like it. I enjoyed it so much that in an effort to find someone to discuss it with that I even uploaded the fights from the first two episodes so that people can judge for themselves.

EPISODE ONE FIGHT

EPISODE TWO FIGHT

I have never been a fan of the boxing version of ‘The Contender’ (in fact I only watched the recent series because there was a British guy on it, and couldn’t tell you what happened after he was eliminated in a clearly racist manner) and as such one thing that takes an immediate bit of getting used to is the way the bouts are edited. Whilst we see the majority of the action, there are noticeable cuts from time-to-time. Also it can be frustrating and somewhat patronising when a major incident is slowed down and almost force-fed to you in an effort to make sure you have seen it. It’s presented in a way that you are not watching a sporting contest but rather witnessing a drama unfold. There is no room left for individual opinion on which way a fight went because you are effectively told who’s won before a decision is even announced. The combination of slow-motion strikes, emotive background music and calls from the fighter’s corner mean that nothing is left to your own interpretation.

Whilst we are in a criticising mood, as with 95% of reality fight shows, a good three quarters of the show is useless. This is to be expected though and the benefit is that with this show being available legally to about seventy-two houses, the majority of people who watch it will be able to fast-forward should they so choose.

I realise that so far I’m not making a great argument as to why I shall continue to watch the show (”you can skip through all the filler” is not a positive no matter how you phrase it), the key overriding factor in all of this is that it’s good quality Muay Thai, for free, presented in English surroundings. For those of you that have become disillusioned with what programmes like ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ have become where we now see athletes that clearly don’t belong in the UFC battling it out for a contract that they have no chance of winning because clearly the only guy in the house with experience of taking on anyone half-decent will walk the competition.

On the contrary, in the case of ‘Contender Asia’ you have recognisable names such as Yodsaenklai, Rafik Bakkouri, Naruepol and John Wayne Parr all competing for the $150,000 prize. In most other combat reality shows, someone of Parr’s reputation would be a favourite and quite rightfully bitchslapping anyone who dared wear their hat at a jaunty angle. However in this case not only is not one of the front-runners but was even earmarked in the first episode as a possible weak link by the opposing team. Of course not every fighter they have chosen for the cast is a world champion in the making but the one thing that this group do have between them is credibility and this makes it much easier to enjoy the show as a whole. You get the impression that by the time the field is whittled down to the quarter finalists we could be in store for some excellent bouts. (If Yodsaenklai and Bakkouri meet then it could be especially interesting)

If the hook of quality Thai fighting by itself does not grab you then, not only may you be at the wrong site, but there are plenty of the usual camp capers usually associated with this type of show to keep you amused. For example, having previously been someone unfamiliar with Singaporean dragon Boat Racing, I was curious about th prospect and specifically the role the ‘drummer’ played in the team. This position had been highlighted as key when talking about the race but my feeble mind could not conjure up a suitable image as to what the drummer job might entail. As it turned out, the drummer’s duty is to merely sit at the front of a boat and attempt to hit a bongo in time with the strokes of the oars on the river. I’d be lying if I said watching Muay Thai fighters doing this wasn’t one of the more surreal things I’ve ever see, but it kept me entertained. Also I feel like I have slightly more knowledge of the culture of the far eastern people, which as HSBC have often pointed out, is invaluable. The last thing I’d want to do is visit Siangapore, get in a boat and NOT attempt to get aid the passage of my journey with the aid of a bongo drum. That would truly be a faux pas.

For more information on Contender Asia, visit the official site at contenderasia.com. Alternatively, the always excellent My Muay Thai can provide you with information and history of the fighters involved and sport as a whole.

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